I look over at my father. "And you?"
"I took one look at her and I knew she was going to be mine," my father answers honestly, and I roll my eyes. "Now, is there something you would like to share with us?"
I avoid looking at him because I’m afraid he’s going to see through the bullshit I’m getting ready to tell him. "No reason. I was just curious." I can see him watching me from my side view, no doubt wanting to ask me more questions.
"Well, you know what they say," my grandfather says, and we turn and look at him. "Curiosity killed the cat.”
We all laugh. "Good to know," I say and then finally turn and look at my father, and I was right. There are so many questions in his eyes, but I know it’s not the time to say anything.
Chapter 24
Erika
"Everything okay?" Zara asks me when I walk back to the chairs and sit down. Looking toward the water, I see teenagers everywhere as they run in and out of the water with their surfboards.
"Yeah, just checking emails to make sure everything is okay." I smile and look over at her as she sits in the chair right next to mine. Zoe’s on the other side of her, and Caroline lies on one of the resort beds that Matthew ordered yesterday.
Every single day, he orders something else, making this beach look like a resort. Chairs and umbrellas are everywhere, and yesterday, they delivered five daybeds and four couch sets. This morning when I got up to have coffee outside, we found the teenagers passed out on them. We then saw Matthew and Max storming the beach to wake them all up and send them to their houses.
Every day, it’s a bet to see what else is going to be delivered. I swear I’m going to wake up one day to find a Ferris wheel on the beach.
I lean my head against the chair and feel the sun hit my face. It’s been three days since the start of our vacation, and I, for one, have never felt more relaxed.
The days are spent lounging on the beach with the kids making sandcastles or sand surfing. The girls are getting all the attention from the teenagers. Franny and Vivi especially.
The older kids are busy with the Jet Ski, and most of the time, Michael and Dylan are the ones in the middle of trouble with Alex slinking off in the back so she doesn’t get caught.
Dinners are the best. After everyone leaves the beach to clean up, we always meet for dinner. The big group of us laugh and enjoy everyone, then sit on the beach for s’mores and a bonfire. The girls stay up way later than they should, but they crash so hard, leaving time for Cooper and me.
I have yet to even lie down on the bed in “my” room. Even though Mia climbed into bed with us this morning, she didn’t notice when I slipped out and went to the bathroom. We’ve even had a chance to sneak off a couple of times during the day. It’s usually us in the bathroom just wanting to touch each other, which is where I just came from.
"I swear those two are going to break limbs," I hear Zara say from beside me, and I put my hand up over my eyes to see that Dylan and Michael are trying to surf side by side. "What the hell are they doing?"
"It’s called surf bowling," Zoe informs us. "They said the main goal is to knock the other one off the board while standing."
"Idiots." Caroline gets up and walks over to the shore, and we can’t help but laugh. Dylan and Michael sit on their boards, and then they start to paddle when the wave is coming. Dylan gets up first, and then Michael is right next to him. They both try to take the other one out. The two of them fall off their boards and then go under the water.
"As their agent," I say, "I don’t recommend anything they are doing." Zara and Zoe laugh, and I see Allison get up and walk over to stand beside Caroline with her hands on her hips.
"Michael Horton!" she shouts with her hands around her mouth, but I don’t know if they can hear her over the sound of the crashing waves. “If you get hurt, you better find a friend to drive you to the hospital.” He looks up, and he smirks at her very much like Max does. His eyes are just as blue as Max’s also.
We all laugh, and she turns and yells for Max, who is sitting down. He gets up and walks to her, followed by Justin, who tries not to laugh. "Where is the third one?" Zara says of Alex. "The three musketeers."